Extremely unpleasant or repulsive, deserving or causing hatred. Morally offensive or disgusting.
From Latin 'odiosus' meaning 'hateful' or 'offensive', derived from 'odium' meaning 'hatred'. The word has maintained its strong negative connotation since classical times.
Odious is one of English's most powerfully dismissive adjectives - it doesn't just mean 'bad' but carries the full weight of moral revulsion and personal disgust. The word's Latin root 'odium' gives us the phrase 'odium theologicum', describing the particular hatred that arises from religious disputes.
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